Torchwood: the Future...

[fajrdrako]

There has been much speculation on whether there will be a season 4 of Torchwood. Over the course of the past week, my thoughts of the subject have changed several times. They have said, they have always said, that if the ratings for series 3 were good, there would be a series 4. And the ratings for series 3 were, as far as I can tell, phenomenal. But The latest news about Russell T Davies going to the US had me blinking in surprise. Then suddenly... a lot of things made sense.

It explained, for example, why Torchwood series 3 felt like the end of an era - closing off the story but not resolving it, leaving room for continuation on greatly changed lines. My thoughts roamed to the series I'd like to see instead - that's a plural 'series' - but of course I am one of those people who would absolutely love to see the next Torchwood series, who wants to see what comes next. Very much so.

And it makes it even more intriguing how, and why, and under what circumstances, we will meet up with Captain Jack again in Doctor Who.

It explains why, at Torchsong, John Barrowman said that Torchwood might come back in a different form - not just another format, like the 5-episode miniseries we got with BBC1, but, for example, it might be made and relocated to America. I, for one was puzzled by this. Torchwood has been very closely identified with Cardiff. Torchwood has been British in tone and atmosphere as and attitude as well as setting. How could that show be relocated to the homophobic, politically conservative, United States without destroying the things that make it wonderful?

Well, the answer is, relocate Russell T Davies and his own set of talents. Perhaps they (and by 'they' here I mean Barrowman, Davies, and their colleagues) think the show is underfunded and underappreciated by the BBC, and will get better resources in the States. Maybe they feel the time is ready. Judging by series 3, the type of show they are aiming for is more like Battlestar Galactica or one of the more hard-hitting HBO shows. Maybe they feel it is possible.

Is there going to be a Rift over the San Andreas Fault? I must admit, I am tickled by the idea that Torchwood could conceivably be filmed in Vancouver.

Now, we know, canonically, that in the Doctor Who universe, Torchwood will be reborn. It will exist in their future, as there are numerous canonical references to it doing so, "Bad Wolf" being an easy example. So whatever it may look like at present to some, Torchwood isn't gone.

I' one of those people who never thought it seemed so.

Possiblities:

1. Torchwood continues as a series in the UK with a variation of the same premise:
   
   • Captain Jack comes back to Earth and sets it up again
     
   • Someone else leads Torchwood - possibly Gwen Cooper, possibly someone else we've met, possibly a new character
     
   • Torchwood Four returns
     
   • Torchwood Two in Scotland becomes active and viable
   
   
2. Torchwood returns as an American show, with or without Captain Jack.
   
3. Torchwood continues in different formats on either continent or both - mini-series (like series 3), one-shots (like Doctor Who's current format), normal series (British version of 13 episodes or American version of 22 episodes).
   
4. Torchwood is discontinued and replaced by another series featuring Captain Jack - possibly off-planet, possibly in the past, possibly as a Time Agent, etc.
   
5. Torchwood is featured in a different era or situation. We know there were other Torchwoods at the height of the Empire, and we've visited Torchwood Delhi - maybe there was a Torchwood in Vancouver. (I chortle at the thought.) Or Torchwood Jamaica. Or Torchwood Gibraltar. We could have a show about Harriet Derbyshire and Gerald Carter. Or a show about Torchwood in Freda's time, when alien refugees live among humans.
   
6. Torchwood is replaced by another Doctor Who spin-off, featuring either an established Doctor Who character - there are plenty to choose among.
   

Some of these possibilities I would love, some I have doubts about. I'd be happy to be surprised by eventualities, especially if they are (as was series 3) different and better than I could have imagined.

I think that what I loved most was that Torchwood series 3 was so intelligent. They talked about it being an adult show in the past, but this is the first time I've thought it was truly mature. It was very emotional and hard-hitting, but not sentimental, and it had ideas in it, real ideas, real moral dilemmas without easy solutions. It was so uncompromising in its realism: real life doesn't always offer easy solutions.

There are many Torchwood themes from series 1 and 2 that were not resolved, that I'd like to see taken up again. For example:

• The Sleepers
  
• The fate of Torchwood Four
  
• The story of Captain John Hart
  
• The Rift - will it be controlled? Will it become a usable wormhole for travel to other times and worlds? will it be closed for the safety of Cardiff and the world?
  
• The changes of the 21st Century - what is this 'everything' of which you speak, Jack?
  
• Bilis Manger and his time-hopping meddling

Comments

[a_lanart]

I'm working on the Torchwood 4 side of it - or my version anyway - where Ace is the T4 leader...

[fajrdrako]

What a brilliant idea! I love it!

[a_lanart]

I have a 3 fics that mention it so far - working on another for which I did some research over the weekend! http://a-lanart.dreamwidth.org/tag/torchwood4

[fajrdrako]

Excellent.

[a_lanart]

I was visiting the tunnels... http://www.williamsontunnels.com/ http://www.williamsontunnels.co.uk/ and mooching round the surrounding area for a suitable 'front door'

[fajrdrako]

That is so perfect. I have just added those tunnels to my itinerary for the trip I'm planning to the UK. I was going to be in the area anyway.

[a_lanart]

If you're going to be in Liverpool, would you like a local guide? Meaning me, of course. *g*
I work shifts and can get days off at any time during the week as long as I know in advance and it would be nice to meet another person off my flist. I appreciate that you might not have much time what with you only being over for a short while.

[fajrdrako]

Yes, yes, and yes! I would love that. I'm going to be in Liverpool the night of July 29 (though I'll probably be half-conscious from jet-lag at that point) and then again August 2 and maybe 3, because I'm going to the Isle of Man and that's where the ferry goes. Can you suggest a Bed and Breakfast place where I could stay? Can you email me your phone number etc. at azurite at rogers dot com?

It would be great to see you!

I do love meeting other fan writers, and I love knowing people in the cities I visit.

[a_lanart]

Don't know what I'm working yet those days, but I will find out soon!

[fajrdrako]

The time is coming up fast. Eeeeeeeeee!

[a_lanart]

I'll find out tomorrow when I'm back in work so I'll know if I have to swap anything around or not. It'll be great to meet you at last.

[fajrdrako]

Okay! I'm looking forward to this.

[toraks]

Hey! When you coming here? Are you still? Please? :-)

[fajrdrako]

Yes, yes, of course! Must confer with you on the exact day. I'll try to get my act together and contact you tomorrow. Do you have a sofa I can sleep on?

[toraks]

Cool! I was worried to see dates & places and not have heard from you yet! :-D

Mostly because I haven't been on LJ/DW, so wasn't sure what was going on with you!

If the dates are before the end of August, we'll definitely be around. Tom's away at some point, but that shouldn't be an issue for your visit.

I'm going to be very stressed out with work and cells, but we can work around it! :-D

Come September, I have no idea what my plans are, but we're not going anywhere on vacation until Christmastime, is the current plan. so, anytime!!

If it's before the end of August, I generally have more free time on weekends than during the week. But with Sean, we leave work around 5:30 most of the time anyway, so there are evenings free as well.

But weekends will always have more free time, if time hanging out is a consideration for you. :-)

Oh, and we still have a spare bedroom, so no worries about a sofa! ;-p We've got a whole room! Full size bed and all! I think the internet (we've got wireless & two laptops at home) and the comfortable bedroom were both very nice for Marna & Ian when they were here, since they'd been roughing it! ;-p Not that it's fancy, and the house'll probably bit a mess, though not the spare bedroom, since we don't use it much. But cleaning is never the top priority and with Sean, it's gets messier and we have less time. ;-p

But, yay! I'm glad you're coming! And soon-ish! :-D

[fajrdrako]

Aww. thank you for all of this.

Because I said I'd go to a Torchwood convention in Cardiff, I have less time than I'd hoped in the north (and I'm already planning another trip a.s.a.p.), so staying with you might not work out, but I do hope to at least see you, and visit. Can you send me your address and phone number for me to contact you when I'm closer?

[toraks]

Oh cool! Torchwood convention in Cardiff? How awesome!

Sorry you won't be able to spend much time up here though. :-(

I completely understand though! That sounds wonderful!!

I'll send you my address & phone number over email, remind me if I forget!

Do try to make it up here -- I'll definitely make the effort to hang out for whatever little time you have! It'll be great to meet you in person! :-)

But don't feel too bad whatever you have to do. I can handle it! ;-p

When is your trip generally? End of July beginning of August-ish?

[toraks]

With Torchwood moving up in the ratings so much (why it got pushed from BBC3 to 2 to 1, the ultimate) and it did well with this one, I just can't see them dropping it completely. But who knows about real life issues?!?

[fajrdrako]

We really don't know what the real issues are - there are always factors of personality and practicality that aren't visible to the outsider. But still... money is money, and usually TV producers will flog a dead horse and claim it's flying if they think they can get money out of it. So - who knows?

[toraks]

We can only hope they continue it and continue it well. BBC can be trusted, maybe? ;-p

[fajrdrako]

Oh, sure. BBC can be trusted to do something - the virtues of the results seem to be the product of random chaos!